Physical Health vs Mental Health.
In today’s society, so many people are focused on living a healthy lifestyle. From trendy diets (Keto anyone?) to extreme fitness workouts like CrossFit or Insanity, people are willing to pay A LOT of money to look and feel good. I am not saying there is anything wrong with that. As a physical therapist, I think proper nutrition and exercise are very important to living our best life, especially in the ‘hustle and bustle’ of today’s world.
With that being said, a person’s mental health may be even more important than diet and exercise. We may not be able to live up to our true potential if we are incapable of talking about our thoughts and emotions. Let me be very clear, counseling does not mean you have a mental illness. Every single person in the world can benefit from talking to someone outside of their family, friends, and social circle. Counseling provides an unbiased insight into one's everyday struggles in life. Unfortunately, there is still a great stigma around mental health which can prevent people from reaching out for help. We all know to go to our primary care physician if we think we have Strep throat, go to our dentist every 6 months for a cleaning, or go to our local physical therapist for that anterior knee pain that began after those jump squats in CrossFit (and if you don’t then you know now :) ).
But where do you go when you are anxious over starting a new job, or when your boyfriend just broke up with you? Sure you can talk to family and friends. But sometimes a counselor will guide you in a way that may ultimately benefit you more than the people in your life. Everyone one is going through something. No matter how big or small your problems may be, how you feel can affect you in your daily life. Talking to someone in a safe environment can help you reach a level of clarity and a better understanding of yourself. If you want to take the next step give counseling a try. Remember, the people who have the greatest strength are the ones who have been able to talk about their weaknesses and work towards understanding themselves better. Here’s to better physical and mental health for everyone!
About the Author: Dr. Lauren Tillman, PT, DPT, OCS writes blogs about exercise and physical rehabilitation for New Insight. Lauren has also written research articles such as "Children's and Adolescent's Perceptions of Light, Moderate, and Vigorous Physical Activity: Building a Model to Promote Physical Activity." For additional information on Dr. Lauren Tillman visit www.newinsightcc.com.
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